1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to aircraft and in particular to a method and apparatus for powering an aircraft. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for providing electric power to an aircraft.
2. Background
The growth of the world economy is straining natural resources. Increasing demands for oil and the diminishing supply of oil is resulting in a rapid increase for the price of fuel. These fuel increases include gasoline for automobiles and jet fuel for aircraft. Global consumption of carbon-based energy for fuel and other purposes also is changing the environment in worrisome and unpredictable ways. As a result, carbon-based energy sources (either petroleum based or biofuel) may be subject to regulation and/or taxation. These realizations have driven an interest in alternative fuel sources for aviation and other industries.
Different alternative fuel sources that have been investigated include hydrogen and biofuel. With the use of hydrogen, hydrogen gas may be pressurized or liquefied. Hydrogen may be converted to mechanical energy through combustion and/or electrical chemical conversion. This type of fuel, however, requires specialized storage to hold pressurized and/or liquefied hydrogen gas.
Biofuels do not require specialized storage like hydrogen. Biofuels, however, still may generate emissions, such as carbon dioxide. Another alternative fuel source includes using batteries that generate electrical power. These types of batteries include, for example, lithium polymer batteries that may provide power to an electric propulsor for an aircraft. Current technology batteries, however, may only provide sufficient power for short-range flights. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an improved method and apparatus for providing power to an aircraft.